Black population by census tract (darker shades indicate higher counts). Source: ACS 5‑year estimates.
Key Takeaways
Income gap: White per‑capita income is nearly $75,815 higher than Black residents.
Employment: Unemployment is 4.1× higher for Black residents; more Black workers in service roles, fewer in professional roles.
Education: Graduate/professional degrees: 18.4% (Black) vs. 59.2% (White).
Housing: Black owners and renters are far more likely to spend 30%+ of income on housing.
Health coverage: Black residents rely more on public coverage and are 4.1× more likely to be uninsured.
Commute: More public transit use and longer commutes among Black workers.
Economic & Employment Gap
Metric
Black
White
Gap (Black – White)
Per capita income ($)
$44,453
$120,268
$75,815 higher (White)
Unemployment rate (%)
9.9%
2.4%
+7.5 pts
Mgmt/Professional jobs (%)
52.9%
87.0%
-34.1 pts
Service occupations (%)
22.1%
4.4%
+17.7 pts
Blue collar (NR/Constr/Maint) (%)
2.2%
0.3%
+1.9 pts
Production/Transportation (%)
5.9%
0.7%
+5.2 pts
Education Divide
Metric
Black
White
Gap (Black – White)
Less than high school diploma (%)
10.9%
0.5%
+10.4 pts
High school graduate or higher (%)
89.1%
99.5%
-10.4 pts
Graduate or professional degree (%)
18.4%
59.2%
-40.8 pts
Bachelor’s degree or higher (%)
36.1%
93.8%
-57.7 pts
Housing & Cost Burden
Metric
Black
White
Gap (Black – White)
Homeownership rate (%)
31.7%
48.7%
-17.0 pts
Median gross rent ($)
$1,433
$2,442
$1,009 (White higher)
Owners paying ≥30% of income (%)
42.2%
15.1%
+27.1 pts
Renters paying ≥30% of income (%)
54.4%
33.5%
+20.9 pts
Health Coverage & Commuting
Metric
Black
White
Gap (Black – White)
Uninsured (%)
3.3%
0.8%
+2.5 pts
With private health insurance (%)
54.3%
94.2%
-39.9 pts
With public coverage (%)
56.2%
14.2%
+42.0 pts
Public transit to work (%)
27.0%
19.8%
+7.2 pts
Drive alone to work (%)
37.3%
23.3%
+14.0 pts
Mean travel time (minutes)
33.1
28.0
+5.1
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 2023, Table S0201. Black = Black or African American alone; White = White alone, not Hispanic or Latino. District of Columbia.
Washington, DC has been home to two very different experiences for generations. The latest Census data makes that divide clear: Black and White residents often live under very different economic, educational, and housing conditions. These differences have roots in the city’s history and in decades of population shifts that continue to shape its neighborhoods today.
A brief look back. The city’s Black community began growing rapidly during and after the Civil War, as thousands of formerly enslaved people from Maryland, Virginia, and other Southern states settled in the capital. By the late 1800s, African Americans built strong neighborhoods such as Shaw, U Street, and Anacostia, with thriving businesses, churches, and schools. The mid‑20th century brought another wave of growth during the Great Migration, when Black families moved from the rural South to DC seeking better jobs and education. By 1970, the city was nearly 70% Black, with growing influence in politics, culture, and business.
Changes since the 1980s. From the 1980s onward, rising housing costs, new development, and shifting job markets began to reshape the city. Many long‑time Black residents moved to nearby suburbs such as Prince George’s County, Maryland—now one of the most affluent Black‑majority counties in the nation. At the same time, an influx of higher‑income residents moved into DC, often into areas that had once been predominantly Black.
